Mathalie Care Services Limited

Updated 7 March 2024

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Initial inspection activity started on 14 July 2023 and ended on 4 September 2023. We visited the location’s office on 14 July 2023. We sought further information from the provider between 19 and 29 January 2024.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We spoke with a representative from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and deputy manager. We reviewed a range of records which related to people’s care and the running of the service. These records included 3 people’s care records, 3 staff records and policies and procedures relating to the management and quality monitoring of the service.

People using the service were unable to communicate verbally with us, so we sought and received feedback from 2 people’s relatives.

Updated 7 March 2024

About the service

Mathalie Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes. The domiciliary care agency provides support to adults with varied needs. At the time of inspection, the service supported 3 people with their personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

Right Support:

The provider ensured staff received the training and supervision they required to provide them with the skills and knowledge they required to carry out their roles.

Relatives told us their loved ones were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.

The provider had maintained records in relation to quality assurance of the service. People’s relatives confirmed they had been asked for their views of the service. The registered manager informed us the service had implemented a new electronic monitoring system and records of quality assurance activities would be recorded on this in the future.

Right Care:

People’s care plans and risk assessments had been reviewed and updated where appropriate. Guidance had been provided for staff on how to effectively support people when delivering care and support.

The provider had made improvements to their medicines administration procedures. The records we saw showed medicines had been administered and recorded appropriately.

Staff described how they understood people’s care needs and preferences. People’s relatives told us staff provided care and support in a respectful and professional way.

Right Culture:

People’s relatives and staff spoke positively about the management of the service.

Staff and people’s relatives confirmed they received information in a timely manner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (publication date to be confirmed)

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.

This service has been in Special Measures since 12 September 2022. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Mathalie Care Services Limited (previously known as The Havelock Hub) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.